Frozen food storage & dispensing system
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorsDavid H. McFadden, Richard N. Caron, John M. Collins, Robert Farra, Kevin P. Barnes, Joop F. Hoekstra, Thomas P. Hosmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.
Claims7
In a freezer system for storing and dispensing one or more frozen food products, said system comprising means for maintaining said frozen food products at a frozen temperature, and transport means for moving frozen food product is preselected amounts between a loading location and a dispensing location, wherein the improvement comprises:
- (a) container means for storing a predetermined portion of food;
- (b) access means located at said loading location to permit uncovering, filling, and recovering said container means;
- and
- (c) dispensing means located at said dispensing location for uncovering, emptying, and recovering said container means;
- wherein said container means remains completely closed between said loading and dispensing locations, and is only uncovered when food is dispensed from said container at said dispensing location.
In a freezer system for storing at a freezing temperature and selectively dispensing any one of a plurality of different frozen food products, said system comprising:
- (a) refrigeration means for maintaining said frozen food products at said freezing temperature;
- (b) a plurality of containers, each including at least one compartment for storing a predetermined amount of one of said food products;
- (c) access means to said refrigeration means located at said loading location to permit filling of each of said containers;
- (d) dispensing means, located at a dispensing location, for emptying each of said containers;
- (e) transport means for moving each of said frozen food products in preselected amounts between said loading location and said dispensing location;
- and
- means for identifying each of said containers as to the contents of said compartment so that a selected one of said foods contained in a particular compartment can be automatically moved to and dispensed at said dispensing location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.